7 November 2006
Early warning from Anfrel about election fraud (1)
The first international watchdog to have issued a serious warning about possible fraud at the forthcoming commune council elections in Cambodia scheduled for 1st April 2007, is the respected Bangkok- based Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL). In an "Open Letter to the NEC" dated 17 September 2006, ANFREL pointed to the fact that in fake democracies, elections are rigged first through manipulation of voter lists, at a very early stage of the electoral process, as Cambodia's National Election Committee has been doing since last summer. ANFREL demonstrated that tricks used by the NEC "can potentially disfranchise a big number of the voting population of the country." It went on to conclude that "massive disfranchisement of such a scale can cast doubts on the legitimacy of the election."
Read Anfrel's full statement in English by clicking here.
Voter lists inflated with ghost voters (2)
In order to counter what ANFREL has denounced as an attempt to disfranchise real voters who are politically suspicious in the eyes of the ruling party (see previous news titled "Early warning from Anfrel about election fraud"), the NEC resorts to inflate voter lists with ghost voters whose names will be fraudulently used to boost the number of alleged CPP voters on 1st April 2007.
In an article titled "NEC Responds to Confusion Over Voter Registration Procedures" in The Cambodia Daily dated 20 September 2006, "Ngeth Virak, commune clerk for Satpoang commune in Kampot province's Chhuk district" was quoted as saying that "he has received an additional 500 [information] notices for voters that he could not find." He added: "I have no idea who voted with those 500 names [at the last elections] in 2003 because those 500 names are not residents or former residents of my commune."
In another article titled "Listes électorales - Le PSR soulève la question arithmétique du nombre de nouveaux électeurs" [Election registry - The SRP raises a mathematical question related to the number of new voters] in Cambodge Soir dated 25 October 2006, "Mar Sophal, chef des enquêteurs à l'ONG d'observation électorale Comfrel (...) rapporte une étude menée par son organisation en juillet-août 2005 sur 300 communes qui établissait que sur une liste de 300 électeurs, 10% des noms étaient inconnus aux chefs de communes. Ce qui signifierait que des électeurs fantômes se soient subrepticement glissés dans les listes [électorales]". [Mar Sophal, head of a team of investigators at the non governmental election watchdog Comfrel (...) says that, according to a study conducted by his organization in 300 communes in July-August 2005 leading to the establishment of a [statistically representative] list of 300 voters, 10 percent of the [voter] names are unknown to the commune chiefs. This would mean that ghost voters have been surreptitiously included in the election registry."]
How ghost voters are included in election registry (2)
There are several ways for the ruling CPP to put non-existent voters on the election registry. During the 24-day voter registration period that ended on 24 October 2006, countless villagers could testify that at many commune offices throughout the country where citizens came to register to vote, CPP- affiliated state and election officials (village chiefs, commune chiefs, commune councilors, commune clerks, police officers) met in the evening, after working hours and without the presence of non-CPP commune councilors, opposition party agents and independent observers, to inflate voter lists by adding names that are unknown to villagers. Those ghost voters form "reserves" that will be used to inflate the number of "votes" for the CPP when ballot boxes are surreptitiously stuffed with CPP-ticked ballots on Voting Day.
Besides, many soldiers will be allowed to vote twice: first in their military barracks under the supervision of army officers and without the presence of any independent observers or opposition party agents, and a second time in different villages along with civilians by using the names of ghost voters. This could partly explain why the government wants the unemployed and disgruntled youth to accomplish a compulsory military service in accordance with a newly adopted law. Every year, some 300,000 Cambodians reach the age of 18 and over 90 percent of them cannot find a job.
Read relevant press articles in English and French by clicking here.
Opposition asks for annulment of law restricting freedom of speech for parliamentarians (1)
In letter dated 1st November 2006, 15 SRP National Assembly members asked the Constitutional Council to annul the Law on the Status of Parliamentarians adopted on 31 August 2006 that dangerously restricts the freedom of speech for parliamentarians. The 15 signatories had either voted against the law, especially its article 5, or were not present at the Assembly when the controversial legislation was adopted.
Read letter in Khmer by clicking here.
Sam Rainsy to receive Prize for Freedom this week (1)
Opposition leader Sam Rainsy will receive on 9 November (corresponding to Cambodia's National Day) the Liberal International's prestigious Prize for Freedom for 2006. The ceremony will take place in Marrakech (Morocco) during a big liberal gathering. Liberal International (LI) is an alliance of 80-plus liberal political parties from some 60 countries around the world.
The LI Prize is awarded annually to "an individual that made an outstanding contribution to human rights and political freedoms."
Previous recipients of LI' s Prize for Freedom include Corazon Aquino (Philippines, 1987), Vaclav Havel (Czekoslovakia, 1990), Mary Robinson (Ireland, 1993), Aung San Suu Kyi (Burma, 1995), Martin Lee (Hong Kong, 1996).
For more information about Liberal International click http://www.liberal-international.org
[End]
Early warning from Anfrel about election fraud (1)
The first international watchdog to have issued a serious warning about possible fraud at the forthcoming commune council elections in Cambodia scheduled for 1st April 2007, is the respected Bangkok- based Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL). In an "Open Letter to the NEC" dated 17 September 2006, ANFREL pointed to the fact that in fake democracies, elections are rigged first through manipulation of voter lists, at a very early stage of the electoral process, as Cambodia's National Election Committee has been doing since last summer. ANFREL demonstrated that tricks used by the NEC "can potentially disfranchise a big number of the voting population of the country." It went on to conclude that "massive disfranchisement of such a scale can cast doubts on the legitimacy of the election."
Read Anfrel's full statement in English by clicking here.
Voter lists inflated with ghost voters (2)
In order to counter what ANFREL has denounced as an attempt to disfranchise real voters who are politically suspicious in the eyes of the ruling party (see previous news titled "Early warning from Anfrel about election fraud"), the NEC resorts to inflate voter lists with ghost voters whose names will be fraudulently used to boost the number of alleged CPP voters on 1st April 2007.
In an article titled "NEC Responds to Confusion Over Voter Registration Procedures" in The Cambodia Daily dated 20 September 2006, "Ngeth Virak, commune clerk for Satpoang commune in Kampot province's Chhuk district" was quoted as saying that "he has received an additional 500 [information] notices for voters that he could not find." He added: "I have no idea who voted with those 500 names [at the last elections] in 2003 because those 500 names are not residents or former residents of my commune."
In another article titled "Listes électorales - Le PSR soulève la question arithmétique du nombre de nouveaux électeurs" [Election registry - The SRP raises a mathematical question related to the number of new voters] in Cambodge Soir dated 25 October 2006, "Mar Sophal, chef des enquêteurs à l'ONG d'observation électorale Comfrel (...) rapporte une étude menée par son organisation en juillet-août 2005 sur 300 communes qui établissait que sur une liste de 300 électeurs, 10% des noms étaient inconnus aux chefs de communes. Ce qui signifierait que des électeurs fantômes se soient subrepticement glissés dans les listes [électorales]". [Mar Sophal, head of a team of investigators at the non governmental election watchdog Comfrel (...) says that, according to a study conducted by his organization in 300 communes in July-August 2005 leading to the establishment of a [statistically representative] list of 300 voters, 10 percent of the [voter] names are unknown to the commune chiefs. This would mean that ghost voters have been surreptitiously included in the election registry."]
How ghost voters are included in election registry (2)
There are several ways for the ruling CPP to put non-existent voters on the election registry. During the 24-day voter registration period that ended on 24 October 2006, countless villagers could testify that at many commune offices throughout the country where citizens came to register to vote, CPP- affiliated state and election officials (village chiefs, commune chiefs, commune councilors, commune clerks, police officers) met in the evening, after working hours and without the presence of non-CPP commune councilors, opposition party agents and independent observers, to inflate voter lists by adding names that are unknown to villagers. Those ghost voters form "reserves" that will be used to inflate the number of "votes" for the CPP when ballot boxes are surreptitiously stuffed with CPP-ticked ballots on Voting Day.
Besides, many soldiers will be allowed to vote twice: first in their military barracks under the supervision of army officers and without the presence of any independent observers or opposition party agents, and a second time in different villages along with civilians by using the names of ghost voters. This could partly explain why the government wants the unemployed and disgruntled youth to accomplish a compulsory military service in accordance with a newly adopted law. Every year, some 300,000 Cambodians reach the age of 18 and over 90 percent of them cannot find a job.
Read relevant press articles in English and French by clicking here.
Opposition asks for annulment of law restricting freedom of speech for parliamentarians (1)
In letter dated 1st November 2006, 15 SRP National Assembly members asked the Constitutional Council to annul the Law on the Status of Parliamentarians adopted on 31 August 2006 that dangerously restricts the freedom of speech for parliamentarians. The 15 signatories had either voted against the law, especially its article 5, or were not present at the Assembly when the controversial legislation was adopted.
Read letter in Khmer by clicking here.
Sam Rainsy to receive Prize for Freedom this week (1)
Opposition leader Sam Rainsy will receive on 9 November (corresponding to Cambodia's National Day) the Liberal International's prestigious Prize for Freedom for 2006. The ceremony will take place in Marrakech (Morocco) during a big liberal gathering. Liberal International (LI) is an alliance of 80-plus liberal political parties from some 60 countries around the world.
The LI Prize is awarded annually to "an individual that made an outstanding contribution to human rights and political freedoms."
Previous recipients of LI' s Prize for Freedom include Corazon Aquino (Philippines, 1987), Vaclav Havel (Czekoslovakia, 1990), Mary Robinson (Ireland, 1993), Aung San Suu Kyi (Burma, 1995), Martin Lee (Hong Kong, 1996).
For more information about Liberal International click http://www.liberal-international.org
[End]
3 comments:
Congratulation to everyone who works tirelessly toward preserve, foster, and protect the freedom and human rights. In this particular case, I congratulate Mr.Sam Rainsy and all people who work together with him.
SRP only if you read this--Your party, I would cetainly say, will not win majority in 2008 general ellection but perhaps hopefully gaining some more seats in parliament.
But beware, as there is increasing numbers of Cambodian people described themselves as voters fatigues/disfranchised. They like your party to win but they feel no matter whatever you try and they support, they will not see the ligth at the end of the tunnel. Some of them would rather stay home or take their eyes off the politic all together. The CPP supporters on the other hand, are having high enthusiastic about going to the voting boot because they believe their party will win again and again.
Have you had any plan to boost people enthusiastic and energy to keep continue to vote regardless how many years it will take to win?
Calculation these negative aspects: voters fatigues, political intimidation, votes are not counted, voting fraud, voting buy out, and fake national identity.
Positve aspect: new generation of voters and people swifting affiliation. So adding all six minus compare to two plus. Can two positve outlooks can be overrun the six negative territories?
However, so keep the light of the candle brighter and keep find ways to build people confidence and moral for your uphill crusade?
There is no need for KI to indirectly condemn the main opposition for failing to prevent the inflated voters list.
SiS
The opposition leader has won another consolation prize often awarded to those who fail to gain power.
^^^
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